Cork Airport has been selected to host a major international aviation conference next year — the 2017 ACI Europe Regional Airports Forum, which will attract over 200 delegates from Europe and North America to the event at the Fota Island resort next May.
The Regional Airports Forum is intended to provide a platform for regional airports to exchange knowledge, share best practice and discuss issues of common interest. Its membership covers 500 airports in 45 European countries.
Cork Airport worked on its bid for over a year with the assistance of Cork Convention Bureau and Failte Ireland. It is the first time the event will be hosted in Ireland.
Niall MacCarthy (pictured) of Cork Airport said: “We are very excited to have secured this important aviation conference for Cork next year. By bringing up to 200 delegates from across Europe we have a great opportunity to show what the region has to offer and create more business links. The support of the Cork Convention Bureau is invaluable for the entire bidding process with their local partnerships, bidding expertise and we would like to thank Meet in Ireland for their Business Tourism supports.”
The conference will be hosted at the five star Fota Island Resort, while other elements of the programme include a welcome reception at Midleton Distillery and a gala dinner at Castlemartyr Resort.
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Evelyn O’Sullivan of Cork Convention Bureau commented: “It is incredibly important for the region to host international airport conferences to help attract routes into Cork Airport and develop the region as a destination for leisure and business tourism, as well as providing access for business. We use everything available to us to assist Cork Airport and our regional ambassadors in attracting such events to the south.”
Cork Airport has recently added connections from Dusseldorf and Madrid to its easy access from Europe and the UK. Additional routes which are planned will have direct business, economic and tourism benefits for Ireland and the southern region, McCarthy added.
